Thursday, March 5, 2015

So Saturday the 28th the only item I hadn't finished for this challenge was my 1915 jacket, which needed buttons and buttonholes. When I got off work I put on the outfit in order to figure out placement, but I was too tired to actually sew. And considering that the Dreamstress is in New Zealand and I'm in California, completing the challenge the day it's due makes it a day late anyways. So I decide to put it off till Sunday.

Sunday goes fine . . . until about 5pm. I'm at work, and I start feeling sick. Just all over weak and crappy. So when I get home, instead of sewing or hanging with friends, I go to bed. I have a fever so I bundle up in blankets with the plan to burn off whatever this bug is. (My husband tells me this is a bad idea, but I do it anyways.)

Monday I am more sick than I have been in YEARS. No real fever, but the kind of weakness and blood pressure drop that means there is a very real possibility of passing out from simply going to the bathroom because it requires me to be upright for a couple of minutes. I am home alone for most of the day, and have to fight to get downstairs to get water and such. I sleep for most of the day. When roommates do get home I get some soup in me, and some Ibuprofen, and start feeling better. Well enough to go to work Tuesday, but not well enough to make it through my whole shift. I spend the day doing some self care.

Today I'm not totally better and am planning on seeing a doctor. But I also realized maybe I should just make my HSM post and not worry about the damn buttons!

tl;dr: I was sick, so here's a post with the jacket still unfinished.

First up, a Renaissance doublet for a Lady Knight! Front

And back. I decided on sleeveless for movement, time, and heat reasons.

Close-up of the front. Her colors are blue and silver, so the doublet is a blue brocade with silver/grey piping and trim. The patterned band is actually a light blue with silver, gold, and black accents. The closures are metal.

Close-up of back. The trims didn't meet perfectly between the upper and the skirt, but it's not super noticeable in person. The whole thing is interlined in canvas, with some wool padding at the shoulders, upper chest, and back. The skirt and shoulder bits are lined in self fabric and the rest is lined in linen.

Inside of doublet.

The breeches are grey wool with black, blue, and silver trims. The patterned band from the doublet makes it's appearance around the legs.

There is braiding at the lower edge of the waistband, and they lace closed. My "points" are bead caps from Michaels, gently folded around the cord with pliers.

Ground photo of the whole outfit. Flash is angry she isn't really in the picture.

Now Flash is just angry cause she has to stand around in a saddle.

And, of course, a mounted photo. The front of the doublet has a tendency to buckle while seated, so I'll be adding some metal bones to it to keep it smooth. Otherwise, a lap around the ranch showed no issues with the outfit.

Year: 1912, but the wider skirts hadn't completely replaced the slim ones, and thus should work for 1915

Notions: Cotton thread, four buttons, hook and eye closures.

How historically accurate is it? The pattern of the fabric doesn't work, stripes are fine but not with the floral added, but otherwise it's solid. 85%

Hours to complete: 6-8, from drafting to complete

First worn: Not yet

Total cost: $10? I had to buy buttons and thread, and I think the fabric was a dollar or two a yard when I got it.

And the jacket. When you see the skirt, you think blue. A grey/blue, but blue none the less. But when you're in downtown L.A. trying to match colors for a jacket, you realize that the fabric is too grey to be blue, too brown to be grey, and too blue to be brown. What I finally found was this:

A greyish blue that is the same dusty hue as the skirt, if not a perfect match to the color. I pulled together resources for making the jacket as the instructions are few, but the sew-along was almost no help either (the steps available are 1: marking, 2: pockets, and 4: the pleated collar. And in case you think I misnumbered, step 3 (which I think is the simple collar, the one I was making) was gone. It was frustrating as one of the reasons I close to purchase the pattern was the extra help the sew-along would provide.) My result:

The striped fabric is used for the tops of the pockets, the collar, the cuffs, and the center of the belt.

About Me

I have gone from a girl who made ill-fitting items from pre-printed patterns because "what do you mean 'bust measurement?' I'm an 8" to a woman who has designed her own patterns and even made a men's suit. My skills are not yet where I want them to be, but I find myself loving sewing, knitting, and crocheting more and more. True beauty is made by hand.